Burgum statement on Corps of Engineers allowing continued operation of Dakota Access Pipeline

“The Army Corps of Engineers made the right decision today to allow additional time for consultation as requested by MHA Nation and North Dakota’s attorney general before any major decisions are made affecting operation of the Dakota Access Pipeline,” Burgum said. “Shutting down this pipeline would put the environment and public safety at greater risk by forcing oil transportation to trucks and rail and would have a devastating effect on our state’s and MHA Nation’s economy, sapping hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from producers, mineral owners, schools and state, tribal and local governments. It also would send a dangerous signal to the capital formation needed to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure by demonstrating that legally permitted and completed essential infrastructure can be shut down after years of safe operation. This state-of-the-art pipeline is critical to North Dakota’s energy industry and our nation’s energy independence and security, and the Corps should be allowed to complete its consultation without court intervention.”

In a letter in February, Burgum urged the Army Corps of Engineers to allow the Dakota Access Pipeline to continue operating during the EIS review, noting that shuttering the safely operating pipeline would weaken U.S. energy security, create more competition for rail access for farmers and add unnecessary risk for motorists and the environment by putting more truck traffic on roads.